xenocryst

[ zen-uh-krist, zee-nuh- ]

noun

, Mineralogy.

1. a rock or crystal engulfed by magma and retained as an inclusion in the resulting igneous rock.

xenocryst

/ ˈzɛnəˌkrɪst /

noun

1. a crystal included within an igneous rock as the magma cooled but not formed from it

xenocryst

/ zĕn′ə-krĭst′,zē′nə- /

1. A crystal foreign to the igneous rock in which it occurs. Xenocrysts usually form during metamorphism.
2. Compare xenolith

Other Words From

• xeno·crystic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of xenocryst¹

xeno- + cryst(al)

Word History and Origins

Origin of xenocryst¹

C20: from xeno- + cryst ( al )